About Dean Ronald Hickman

Welcome to the School of Nursing

Ronald L. Hickman Jr., is dean and Ruth M. Anderson Endowed Professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.

A quadruple alumnus (CWR ’00; NUR ’06, ’13; GRS ’08, nursing), Hickman began his academic and professional career at Case Western Reserve in 1996.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, part of the National Black Nurses Association.

A registered nurse and a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner, Hickman has provided care for patients undergoing general and cardiothoracic surgery, and patients in the intensive care unit. A nurse scientist by training, he is nationally known for his work focused on technology-based solutions to improve chronic disease self-management and end-of-life care.

Hickman is dedicated to mentoring students and has earned both the John S. Diekhoff Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring and the J. Bruce Jackson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring–two of CWRU’s highest honors.

Deeply committed to research, Hickman has led federally funded studies designed to help individuals—including family members of ICU patients—make informed decisions related to health or healthcare. He has expanded his approach into training programs, an example of his commitment to advance nursing science while growing academic offerings.

Hickman’s impact extends to a national scale, from his work on the board of directors for the American Academy of Nursing to his recognition in 2020 as the second nurse scientist to receive the prestigious Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine distinction from the National Academy of Medicine. 

He has authored more than 150 refereed journal articles, books, book chapters, and other scholarly products.

Hickman was named Dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in July 2025. Prior to that he served as associate dean for research.